Ben O’Connell

Hordes of roaring soldiers were seen running out of the Barbican at Alnwick Castle earlier today as filming for a major TV series took place.

The Gazette understands that Alnwick Castle is being used for filming some of The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses, a second series of three film adaptations of Shakespeare’s history plays starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Dame Judi Dench, Donwton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville and Michael Gambon.

Filming at Alnwick Castle. Picture by Jane Coltman

Above is a video, also featuring pictures, by Gazette photographer Jane Coltman, which shows a significant number of soldiers running out of Alnwick Castle.

It is not known if any of the star names will be filming in Alnwick, but it is thought to involve a large number of cast and crew, as part of the town’s Greenwell Lane car park behind the Castle has been reserved for a week until Saturday, while accommodation providers have also taken bookings. It is believed that around 200 extras will be used throughout the week, including sword fighters, stunt men and general actors.

A spokeswoman for the production companies said that they wouldn’t confirm details of filming, but a press release from the BBC in October revealed that principal photography had begun on the series, filming in locations around the UK.